首 — “neck / head” in Japanese

Grade 2しゅ, くび

Radical ⾸ · radical 185 The building block this kanji is filed under

“neck / head” in Japanese is 首, read shu, kubi (しゅ, くび). It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 首都 (capital).

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What does 首 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	首
Meaning	neck / head
Readings	しゅ, くび
Grade	Grade 2 (Easy)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	首都 (capital)

How to read 首

首 is read shu (しゅ) or kubi (くび) depending on the word.

Words with 首

首都しゅと
首都圏しゅとけん

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Kanji read the same way as 首

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

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Updated: 2026-08-28